The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine, a printer or the like and a toner supply container for supplying toner to the image forming apparatus. Here, typical examples of the image forming apparatus include an apparatus which forms an image on a recording material through an electrophotographic image formation process. Examples of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (laser beam printer, LEDprinter, for example), a facsimile machine, a word processor or the like. In the image forming apparatus such as the electrophotographic copying machine, the printer or the like, a developer in the form of fine powdery toner is used. When the developer (toner) in the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, is used up, the toner is supplied into the main assembly of the image forming apparatus using a toner supply container. Since the toner is very fine particles, the toner which is being supplied or the toner remaining in the toner supply container might scatter with the result of contamination of the operator or the environment around the apparatus.
In the case that toner discharging opening of the toner supply container is covered by film welded therearound, the toner supply container having been used up cannot be resealed. In order to avoid this problem, a proposal has been made in which a shutter for openably sealing the toner discharging opening, and it has been put into practice.
On the other hand, the toner supply opening of the toner supply device provided to receive toner is provided with a shutter for openably sealing it. By doing so, the toner supply device is sealed except when the toner is supplied and so that no foreign matter such as clip or the like is prevented to enter, or erroneous toner is prevented from supplied.
Moreover, another proposal has been made in which it is combined with the above-described toner supply container so that they are integrally opened and closed, by which the toner scattering during the toner supply operation can be prevented, and this system has also been put into practice.
However, such a system involves following problems.
The toner enters between the container shutter and the main assembly shutter, by which the toner is deposited on an outer surface of the shutter of the toner supply container which has been used and removed. Particularly in a system in which the toner supply container is installed in the main assembly of the image forming apparatus,this problem is significant when the toner supply container is taken out before the absence of the is detected, that is, during the toner is being discharged.
In such a case, a quite a large amount of the toner remains in the toner supply container, and the neighborhood of the toner discharging opening is filled with toner. In such a state, the container shutter and the main assembly shutter are integrally wedged to effect the sealing, and therefore, the toner enters between the two shutters with the result that outer surface of the shutter of the toner supply container taken out and the neighborhood therefore are contaminated with the toner.
Moreover, the toner between the two shutters is deposited and remains more in the main assembly shutter. Therefore, by repeating in the removing operations, the contamination gradually increases. Such an accumulation tendency exists in the case that it is taken out after the detection of the absence of the toner, that is, after the toner supply container becomes substantially empty. After the exchange of the toner supply container is repeated several tens times, the competition becomes remarkable.
In an example, the toner supply container has a cylindrical shape, and a relatively small toner discharging opening is formed in a part of the surface thereof; the inside of the toner supply container is provided with toner feeding means for feeding the toner bidding to the toner discharging opening. Such a ton, container is inserted in the direction of the axis of the cylindrical shape into the image forming apparatus, and is used in the inserted state. However, the toner discharge opening is relatively small, and the toner supply opening of the toner supply device which receives the toner, and therefore, the access thereto from outside is very difficult. In such a system, it is difficult to remove periodically the accumulated toner in the toner supply device.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a toner supply container and an image forming operators wherein the toner deposition to the outer surface of the container at and adjacent to the shutter of the toner supply container. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.